People who pay attention to sugar claims
You’re looking for a sugar reduction claim on the product and want to distinguish it from a figure simply listed on the label.
Who is this choice for?
Households comparing plain or wholegrain rice
You prefer a simple ingredient list and want to compare nutritional information on a like-for-like basis.
People who prepare quick meals
You’re considering quick-cook or seasoned rice and want to check its ingredients, as well as the values given for the product as eaten.
What should you check before ordering?
First decide whether your priority is a sugar reduction claim, comparing carbohydrates, a simple recipe or quick preparation. Then check the label for the exact product.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar reduction claim | Look for the exact claim, the similar product used as a reference and the stated reduction. According to the DGCCRF, an isolated “of which sugars” figure isn’t enough to establish a comparative reduction. | If I’m specifically looking for rice marketed as reduced in sugars, I want to understand which product it’s compared with before choosing it; around 33% of consumers would put this check first. |
| Sugars and carbohydrates | Check the “carbohydrates” and “of which sugars” figures per 100 g, making sure you know whether they refer to dry rice or rice ready to eat. | A low “of which sugars” figure doesn’t meet my needs if I also want to compare carbohydrates; around 25% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Plain or wholegrain recipe | Check the ingredients and, if they matter to you, the fibre content and cooking instructions. The word “wholegrain” doesn’t prove that the product is reduced in sugars. | For a meal I season myself, I prefer to know exactly what’s in the rice; around 25% of consumers would prioritise a plain or wholegrain recipe. |
| Quick preparation | Check the preparation time and method, then the ingredients and nutritional values for the format you’ve chosen. | When I have little time to prepare a meal, I look for a quick format without giving up on checking its ingredients; speed would come first for around 17% of consumers. |
Common pitfalls to avoid
-
Confusing a low sugar figure with a reduction claim
The “of which sugars” line describes the product, but on its own it doesn’t show that it contains less sugar than a similar product.
If the packaging claims a reduction, look for the comparison on which that claim is based.
-
Looking only at the “of which sugars” line
Two basmati rice listings published by Carrefour give sugar figures of 0.4 g and 0.5 g respectively, but carbohydrate figures of 74 g and 72.3 g per 100 g of dry rice.
Read both nutritional values and compare products shown in the same state.
-
Comparing dry rice directly with rice ready to eat
A figure per 100 g of dry rice and one per 100 g of rice ready to eat don’t describe the product in the same state.
Check what the nutritional information refers to before comparing two products.
Brands to know when comparing rice
Carrefour
A supermarket own-brand range that includes plain, basmati, wholegrain and quick-cook rice.
- The range offers different options to help you find a format and ingredients to suit the meal you have planned.
- The fact that a rice product is in this range doesn’t prove that it’s reduced in sugars: check the listing for the product you choose.
Taureau Ailé
A brand that offers, among other products, wholegrain basmati and Nature 2min rice.
- The Carrefour listing for the wholegrain basmati reviewed gives steamed wholegrain long-grain basmati rice as the ingredient.
- The Nature 2min listing also includes rice bran oil and sunflower lecithin, so compare the ingredients of each product individually.
Ben's Original
A brand offering Basmati 2min for meals where preparation time matters.
- According to the Carrefour listing, this product takes 2 minutes in the microwave or 3 minutes in a frying pan.
- It contains steamed, precooked basmati rice and sunflower oil; its quick preparation doesn’t tell you whether it has a sugar reduction claim.
Tipiak
A brand that offers, among other products, a rice dish with mild spices.
- The Auchan listing for this dish gives 26 g of carbohydrates, of which 0.5 g are sugars, per 100 g of product ready to eat.
- Its “no added sugars” claim doesn’t, on its own, mean “reduced in sugars” compared with another product.
Joybuy products related to this choice
Products related to this topic will be available soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is rice with 0.4 g or 0.5 g of sugars necessarily reduced in sugars?
No: these figures describe the sugar content of each product, but don’t establish a reduction compared with similar rice. According to the DGCCRF, a reduction claim must be based on a comparison; check which product is used as the reference if you see this claim.
Why look at carbohydrates as well as sugars?
Because “of which sugars” represents only part of the carbohydrates shown on the label. To choose between two types of rice, check both figures per 100 g and make sure they refer to products in the same state.
How do you compare dry rice with quick-cook rice?
First compare their ingredients, preparation methods and the state of the product that the nutritional values refer to. If one gives values for dry rice and the other for rice ready to eat, their figures per 100 g aren’t directly comparable.